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Participation in International Remote Sensing Summer School 2024

Lay summary

Description of the programme

The summer school was organized by the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, the Italian Association of Remote Sensing and the Fondazione Montagna Sicura (FMS), which is a non-profit foundation conducting applied research projects in the Aosta valley (Italy). The program consisted of lectures, given by a variety of speakers on different remote sensing
techniques, practical exercises and three fieldtrips (Miage glacier, Helbronner Peak, Planpincieux monitoring station). The combination of theory and practice was extremely beneficial and allowed the participants to apply the knowledge acquired in the lectures.

How did you benefit from the programme?

The summer school allowed me to deepen my knowledge of methods I am using in my PhD and to meet speakers who are experts in these methods. I also learned about remote sensing techniques (e.g. spectrometers) and processing methods (e.g. for ice cave mapping) that I am less familiar with, which I hope to use in future projects.
Given that the summer school was organized with the FMS, the program was oriented in a very applied way. This was extremely useful for me, as I wish to pursue my career in an applied research center focused on alpine environments.

What were the highlights of the training?

The three fieldtrips were all highlights for me. Visiting the debris-covered Miage Glacier was extremely impressive, with its beautiful glacial tongues. We also visited the Helbronner Peak (at 3500 m a.s.l.) and enjoyed the stunning views of the Mt Blanc massif. Finally, visiting the monitoring station of the Planpincieux and Whymper Serac glaciers was fascinating, as we learned about the different measurement instruments and their unique purposes (early warning versus alarm requiring road closure). The system in place for road closure in case there is a risk of glacier collapse was also very interesting.

Would you recommend the programme to other students?

I would recommend the summer school if you are interested in working in alpine areas, as the remote sensing techniques covered have a large application. The summer school is also useful to learn about practical challenges of applied research in alpine valleys, which were shared by speakers from FMS. For instance, the role and importance of communication to a non-scientific audience was discussed and solutions proposed. This is especially difficult with residents of mountain valleys, for whom consequences of climate change are hard to grasp. The only weakness of the school was the low proportion of international speakers and participants.

Watch a video about the programme here!

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